The Career's Rose
by ShineTheTribute
Summary: She's his Rose, pretty but encased in thorns. She's everything he isn't, and he shouldn't even be talking to her. Of course, fate has other plans. continuation of "Guardian Angel" Cato\Katniss's daughter.some swearing and violence.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

"Rose get 'cho butt down here!" My brother, Cinna, yells and I roll my eyes. I swing off by bed, trow my makeup into a box, and run down the stairs. Cinna's waiting at the bottom, probably to tease me some more. I tackle him before he can, pinning his arms behind his back.

"Do I need to fill your bed with shaving cream again?" I ask, and he gulps. The Shaving Cream Incident was one of my more...interesting revenge ideas. It involved filling his bed with several contains of shaving cream, then locking him into his room.

"No, that was terrible the first time." Cinna shakes his head. I grin, he's so easy to scare.

"What are you guys breaking this time?" My dad, Peeta, asks. And I look up innocently.

"Who? Me?" I reply, batting my eyelashes. He sighs and mutters something about insane teenage girls. I almost tackle him, but decide not to. Anyone who managed to lie to an entire country is not to be messed with.

"You guys ready yet?" Mom asks me, ignoring he scene in front of her. There's a chorus of 'yes' and she smiles. "Good, lets get this show on the road!" we follow her out the door, and I sigh. I really hate the annual War Memorial party, mostly because there's lots of crying and hysterics.

On the train, a few people thank my parents and others take pictures. It's still really creepy to see your parents' faces on the covers of popular magazines. I mean, watching them murder children was bad enough. Detailed articles about their sex life...um, no. sometimes it really sucks to have famous Victors who pretty much started a rebellion as your parents.

Another problem with Rebellion parties, Gale Hawthorne. He killed my aunt and namesake, but does anyone care? Nooooooo, it's all 'oh look, there's that amazing War Hero.' I swear one of these days I'm going to murder him in his sleep.

After like, half an hour we arrive in the Capital. It's still shiny, clean, and very advanced, but I can't hate it. At least they don't kill 23 kids a year anymore. There's looks of disgust on my parents' faces, but I ignore it. The fact that my parents are insane and killers doesn't bother me anymore. I guess it comes with the whole 'I talk to dead people' thing.

The actual ceremony is fairly boring, Paylor reads a list of everyone who died in the war, and a few of the Victors make speeches. Johanna's is pretty much the same every year. She disses the Capital, and then makes some rude remark about my mom 'getting knocked up at seventeen'. Even though it's rude, I love her. Then there's a party with tons of food and everyone gets drunk. Pretty fun, and there's the plus of getting blackmail on people you hate.

This year, however, things are a bit different. Paylor announces they figured a way to bring people back to life. It's really scientific, but basically they take some DNA and the part of the brain with their memories, and recreates the person with it. Besides being as creepy as those Pre-Panem zombie movies, it's kinda cool. Unfortunately, I can't be happy for everyone else. Why? The people who tried to kill my parents are coming back to life.

Yeah, this is going to be a problem. There's one person on my mind as I try to find my friend Callie. His name is Cato and he tried to kill my parents. Like, a lot.

I'm screwed.

**many people read this and told me i should continue. so, i will. it's going to be a different story, called 'The Career's Rose', and the above is my prolouge\first chapter. i hope you guys like it, although there will be swearing. as for Rose, well she's gong to be her own person. you nlearn more about Callie in the next installment.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Yay, a fast update! thanks to everyone who read this, you guys are amazing! today has been an emotional rollercoaster, i had a mental breakdown in my Home Ec class, my electronic baby was crying and it wouldn't stop. i had to leaver the room cause i was hyperventilating. anyways, enjoy!**

I find Callie in the crowd of people. She's fighting against the tide of people, trying to find me. I wrap her in a hug, and she returns the gesture. She's sobbing, something about it being her fault, and he'll hate her. I push her away from me, and glare at her.

"You are an amazing, wonderful, crazy girl, and you're one of my best friends. It is not your fault that your brother decided to throw his life away. So don't blame yourself, because I really don't want to hide your body with everyone else." I say, staring at her tear-stained face. She smiles through the tears, and pushes a piece of her hair away from her face.

"What, you mean in your locker?" she asks, and I grin in spite of myself.

"Of course, I'll club you with a deer leg, eat said leg, then dump your body in my locker." I reply with a smirk.

"You sick, twisted little girl." Callie responds,shaking her head sadly. We laugh at the joke, and go to find Paylor.

She's waiting for us, away from the crowds. When she sees us, she smiles. Paylor has been a family friend for a while. She respects my mother, and vice-versa. So she's been around me my entire life. I don't mind, although it's kinda weird to have the president of your country sipping tea with your parents.

"Hello girls, what can I do for you?" Paylor asks as we get closer.

"I want to see my brother."Callie responds and I nod.

"Okay, its building H room K579. He's not rooming with anyone, and nobody else is visiting."Paylor tells us, and we nod. A five-minute walk later, we're there.

Callie opens the door, and braces herself. In the hospital bed, a boy with dirty blond hair glances up at us. His eyes are blue, an icy color that reminds me of the frigid air in District Six. He smiles when he sees Callie.

"Hey little sis, long time no see." He grin, and I roll my eyes. Callie, however, runs over and gives him a hug.

"Damn you Cato! I thought I lost you. Never again, you hear me? Never again will you risk your life!" She shouts, slapping him across the face. Then she breaks down and cries. "Oh my god, I missed you!" She says, hugging her brother.

"Geez, go ahead and kill me again." Cato responds, ruffling Callie's hair. I edge away, not wanting to disturb their reunion. Callie notices me, and beckons me over. I go over hesitantly.

"Nice to meet you." I say formally. "My name's Rose." I purposely don't give my full name, figuring my last name would be a dead giveaway.

"Rose who?" He asks, looking me over once.

"Primrose Rue Mellark. I think you might have met my parents once. Something with tracker jackers and wolf mutts if I remember correctly." I say coolly.

"Mellark, like Lover Boy?" He asks, and I nod.

"Oldest child and only girl of the Everdeen-Mellark family." I reply, my tone is smooth and unconcerned.

"Well, that's something. I thought they were faking."He muses. I consider leaving, but decide against it. Callie would kill me.

"They were, but Mom fell in love with him later. It's Mellark-able what happens in a war." I say, giving the standard pun on my surname.

"And next thing you know, you'll tell me the Capital was overthrown and the Hunger Games stopped." He says and I smirk.

"They did, now we have a war memorial, and after party. It's considered a big deal and my parents are pretty famous for it." I tell him with a grin.

"I knew that, dumbass."He snaps and I laugh.

"there's a lot of things I am, and stupid is not one of them I am insane, annoying, a liar, really bitchy half the time and kinda mean." I retort.

We stare each other down for a minute. His icy eyes meet my sky-blue ones. It's almost funny, me a small sixteen year old, and the big bad career. I wonder absentmindedly if he realizes this too.

"You are a spoiled, ungrateful little girl you know. Some of us grew up in a horrible place and you just flaunt over here and talk about how great you are. Some of us grew up watching kids get slaughtered by other kids." He yells, glaring at me.

"You don't know anything about me. My history teacher looks at me every time we talk about the Rebellion, my friends knew about my parents before I did. I have to endure stares and whispers everywhere I go. I learned more about my parent's past from books and videos than I did from them.

Three times a week I wake up too my mom screaming her head off. My dad grabs onto chairs because if he doesn't he might kill us. My aunt was blown up by mom's best friend. I grew up in an insane place, I cried every night for three weeks after I found out about the games.

I visit their graves all the time, yours too. I cry for the dead tributes, and hold every thing inside around my friends. And you think you know anything about me? Face it, you're just a stupid Career who lost and now you think you can just judge me? Go rot in hell, I'm not bothering anymore." I scream, glaring at the boy in front of me.

"you're like them you know." His voice stops me as I walk away. "They were pretty fierce. Your mother didn't back down, ever. Your dad was strong, and a pretty good liar too." He doesn't try to stop me from leaving and I can't help but turn around.

"Don't ever assume you know me. I don't care if you're dying, mentally ill, or anything else, I will kill you in a slow and painful way. They won't find the body. If you want to be my friend, or anything else, you have to learn something. Roses have thorns, mine happen to be pretty sharp." My voice is quiet, calm. I turn to walk out the door, but say one last thing.

"And I'm pretty sure your name isn't Richard, so don't be a Dick."

**On Rose's anger: He just insulted her about a touchy subject. besides, Katniss has a temper(Pig and gamemakers anyone?)**

**Callie: Cato's sister, in her twenties.**


	3. Chapter 3

**OMG you guys rock!next chapter is Cato and katniss's meeting.**

_I'm just a girl, what's my destiny? _  
><em> What I've succumbed to Is making me numb <em>  
><em> I'm just a girl, my apologies <em>  
><em> What I've become is so burdensome<em>  
><em> I'm just a girl, lucky me <em>  
><em> Twiddle-dum there's no comparison<em>  
><em>-Just A Girl, No Doubt<em>

Callie is waiting for me outside. She's smiling, back against a wall. When she sees me, she grins and says, "So, who got pissed off first?" I look at her in shock.

"What do you mean?" I ask, confused.

"Well who got mad and started yelling first. The way you walked out proves my point. Honestly, I can read you like a book." She replies.

"I got mad first. He made some comment about my parents spoiling me, and I flipped out." I explain, and Callie laughs.

"Ha, Paylor owes me ten bucks! Anyways, my brother's an ass. Lets go bug him!" She starts to drag me to the room again, but I push her away.

"What do you mean Paylor owes you ten bucks? And why do I have to talk to him again?" I ask.

"Paylor and I made a bet about who would get mad first. She thought my bro would flip out first, but I said there's no way you could stay calm around him. And you guys have to get past your arguments, you're pretty much the same. Besides, I can't disown him, and you're my best friend. So be a girl." I snort at the end part, leave it to Callie to make a woman's rights joke.

"Fine, just don't expect me to be happy about it." I cross my arms as we walk inside. Cato is sitting up, staring out the window. He looks up when the door shuts and his eyes focus on me.

"Hey Callie, what's she doing here?" He asks staring me down.

"This girl here, she's my best friend. So play nice. She cried at your freakin' grave when she found out how you died. Don't insult her, and I might put up with you for the foreseeable future." She states, giving her brother the 'Callie Stare'.

"She cried at my grave?" Cato questions surprised. I huff, I'm not completely heartless.

"Yeah I did. I was sorry for you-yes, you the heartless, evil terrible career- and I cried. I cried for every single tribute, but mostly you. Yeah, my parents were pissed when they found out, but I didn't care. I felt like I owed it to you, a type of repayment for dying. But guess what? I don't owe you anything." I rant, and his eyes widen.

"Damn it Callie! Why couldn't you be friends with some normal girl? Instead, I get the insane, sarcastic daughter of the two people I hate. And I can't even hate her because she's so freaking nice. I mean, she felt bad that I got chewed on like a giant dogbone, she lied to her parents, and she actually visited me. I feel like a bad person now, and I'm blaming you. God, I fail as a person." The last party is quiet, almost a whisper.

"Well at least I know you're the same person you were before you died."Callie is amused, you can see it on her face. "It's true love." She sings.

Callie is one of those people who drives you insane, without trying that is. She can bug you about who you like until you give in and tell her everything. If you have a date, she'll bug him until she decides he's okay. I love her to pieces, but she drives me insane sometimes. I guess it comes with the title of 'best friend'.

"Callie Cat, we're not in love. You know I don't believe in that."I sigh.

"You don't believe in love?" Cato sounds surprised, like everyone does when I say that little fact. I sigh before turning to him to reply.

"No, I don't believe in love. Love can kill you, it makes you weak, and I hate being weak." I explain in a bored voice.

"I would have though...with your parents..."Cato says, and my eyes narrow.

"What did I tell you about comparing me to my parents? I'm pretty sure it was something along the lines of 'don't'. so do me a favor and shut up about my freaking parents for once."

"Geez Rose Flower, no need to get so snappy." Callie grins, using my nickname. I roll my eyes, but I'm smiling too. She knows me to well.

"Look I have to go. I really don't want to hide your bodies with the other ones, so I should get away while I can." I leave the room, and I hear some mutters. Then the door closes and it's quiet.

I look around. It's pretty empty here, and unnaturally quiet. I set of to find my parents, wandering the halls with no real goal. I like the silence, it's calming and helps me concentrate. I wonder what my parents will think when I tell them who I visited. I can see it, my parents exchanging glances, my brother looking at me with a smirk. It's strange, how I know them so well.

About ten minutes later, I run into Paylor. She's rushing down the hall, papers in hand. I almost hit her, swerving at the last minute. She stops to apologize.

"Rose sweetie, I'm so sorry! I was looking for you, actually. We're asking families to take in patients, so they can settle in. Rue is going to stay with her sister, Primrose is staying with , and a few others have homes set up already. But we need a place for a few more, and your parents volunteered...,"She drifts of.

"who is it?"I ask, and she looks at me before sighing.

"Well, it shouldn't be a problem, I just wanted you to know.."She falters, avoiding my question.

"Who is it Paylor?" My voice is stern.

"Rose, it's Cato." My life is over.

**that song up there, jusat a girl came on in PE and i was like "WTF i know this song." then i remembered my dad and uncle did a karaoke duet like 2 years ago at christmas. lol! **

Review!


	4. Chapter 4

**AG! I hate history projects! anyways thanks for your reviews, story alerts and favorites. you guys inspire me!i don't own "Tonight Tonight".**

_It's been a really really messed up week_

_seven days of torture, seven days of bitter_  
><em> And my girlfriend went and cheated on me<em>  
><em> She's a California dime but it's time for me to quit her<em>

_ La la la, whatever, la la la, it doesn't matter, la la la, oh well, la la la_

_ We're going at it tonight tonight_  
><em> There's a party on the rooftop top of the world<em>  
><em> Tonight tonight and we're dancing on the edge of the Hollywood sign<em>  
><em> I don't know if I'll make it but watch how good I'll fake it<em>  
><em> It's all right, all right, tonight, tonight<em>

Cato POV:

Approximately 30 seconds after Rose leaves, Callie barges in to yell at me. Despite the fact that Callie had been three when I died, I felt like I had known her forever. It was weird, like I had other memories. There where some, people crying and a girl's voice(presumably Callie's), that made sense. Others, a different girl talking about murder ideas, the smell of roses, made no sense. The only explanation I had was that some part of my brain or soul( if we're getting metaphorical) remembered things that happened after I died.

Honestly, I didn't care what it was. I was a bit more concerned with the enigma that was Rose Mellark. She was...confusing, to say the least. She never seemed to judge people, but she got mad fast. As far as I could tell, she was tough in a way that seemed wrong. The way she reacted to me at first, cool and aloof, made it seem like she wasn't going to judge. But when I mentioned her likeness to her parents, she got pissed. Confusing, yes. Impossible, no.

"So lets count up your accomplishment today!" Callie says snidely, "You made Rose hate you, made me pissed and still managed to stay unscratched. Pretty impressive for a newbie. But seriously, don't make Rose mad. I love her like a sister from another mister and you're messing with her head."

"What do you mean, 'messing with her head'?" I ask, confused by her little speech.

"Rose is always compared to her parents. There's a lot of discussion about the daughter of the country's two favorite war heroes. She hates this, and I can't blame her. But you, well she expected more from you. She went to your grave once a month, sometimes with me, sometimes without, and just...talked. She told stories about pranks she pulled, her family, her best friend Finn and his inability to get a girlfriend. So when she came to meet you, she thought you'd get why she hated her life. Instead, you give her more problems." I'm impressed by her explanation to say the least.

"So she tries to separate herself from her parents, but can't get away? And she visited my grave?" I ask, and Callie nods.

"She always visited Tribute graves. It was almost like she needed to. When I met her, she was pretty screwed up. Crying herself to sleep, getting nightmares every night, and locking her emotions away. She's just a kid." Callie looks down. "Anyway, you'll get to know her better. You have to live with the Mellarks for a few months. Paylor insisted." She sighs.

"How long?"I'm surprisingly calm.

"Six months to a year." Well, that's going to be hard. I can only imagine what living with the Girl on Fire, Lover Boy, and their kids will be like.

The next hour is a blur of doctors and paperwork. I'm led out into a courtyard, loaded on a train, and given some crackers. Rose and two boys I don't know sit with me. Rose ignores me, and chats happily with her companions. I eat my food quietly and think. It's weird, like a dream.

"Hey, Finn?" Rose says a few moments later. "Wanna sing Tonight?" I'm confused by this, what does she mean "tonight"?

"Yeah, standard breaking, double chorus?"The bronze-haired boy replies. Rose nods and starts to sing.

"_It's been a really, really messed up week _

_ Seven days of torture, seven days of bitter."_

Rose sings, her voice smooth. She's a good singer, but something about the song seems...off. Like there is another meaning behind the words.

"_And my girlfriend went and cheated on me  
>She's a California dime but it's time for me to quit her.<em>"

The boy I assume is Finn continues. It's almost funny, the two of them randomly singing.

_"La la la, whatever, la la la, it doesn't matter, la la la, oh well, la la la_

_We're going at it tonight tonight  
>There's a party on the rooftop top of the world<br>Tonight tonight and we're dancing on the edge of the Hollywood sign  
>I don't know if I'll make it but watch how good I'll fake it<br>It's all right, all right, tonight, tonight_

The duo continues through the entire song, and I watch. They're very talented, and really close. If I didn't know better, I'd assume they were related. After that, they sing a few other songs. Halfway through the third song, I leave. I walk into another compartment, and see an older Fire Girl and Lover Boy talking.

They notice me as soon as I walk in. Katniss's head snaps up, and her gray eyes meet mine. "Hello Cato, it's...good to see you again." I notice she hesitates before good and smirk.

"Fire Girl, Lover Boy. Nice to see you. It's been a while." My voice is bitter, but I don't care.

"Nice to see to see you alive again." Katniss replies and I grin. This could be fun. A moment after that I realize her voice is identical to Rose's. Weird.

"Your daughter is a lot like you."I blurt out. Then I berate myself. This could be dangerous, letting Fire Girl-no, Mrs. Mellark, know anything about myself.

"Primrose is...difficult. She's very stubborn, and I'm sorry if she irritates you. We love her of course, but she can be worse than I was when it comes to asking for help." Mrs. Mellark explains.

"She wasn't too bad. I can handle her."I say, then I leave. It was difficult to deal with an older version of The Girl on Fire. I walk back to Rose's compartment, and note the singing had stopped.

Shortly after that, we arrive in District 12. the rest of the night passes in a blur as I'm shown to a room inside the Mellark house. Only after everyone leaves I realize Katniss had called Rose Primrose. I wonder if that was why she hated being compared to her family.

That night I dream about a Mockingjay's daughter.

**next chapter: Rose has an...interesting day**


	5. Chapter 5

**Woo! Happy Easter peeps!** **I love One Direction!**

_Come on, come on, don't leave me like this_  
><em> I thought I had you figured out<em>  
><em> Can't breathe whenever you're gone<em>  
><em> Can't turn back now, I'm haunted<em>

Rose POV:

When I wake up, I roll out of my bed and hit the floor. This is actually how I wake up every morning, but I still wince. Then, springing up, I run to my bathroom door. After knocking twice to make sure Mutt Boy isn't in there, I bounce in.

Twenty minutes later, I'm showered and smelling like mangoes. A current dries me, and my hair, and I grab a fluffy robe. I grab my pink brush and skip back to my room. Then I brush my tangle-free hair out and throw it in a messy bun.

My outfit is simple, brown boots, jeans, and a white knit sweater. My makeup consists of mascara and electric blue eyeliner. I look in the mirror, checking to make sure I look good. Then I slide down the wooden stairs and hop into the kitchen.

Cinna is sitting in a chair at the table, sipping hot chocolate. I plop down in the chair next to him after grabbing a cup of coffee. I stir in two creams and two sugars and take a sip. Perfect.

"So, basic Peace Treaty?" Cinna asks, glancing at me. His face is neutral, expressionless.

"Yeah, lets draft it now. Are we going six months, or until he leaves?" I ask, grabbing paper and a purple pen off the counter.

"Lets go with until he leaves. You draft, then let me read it over." Cinna goes back to his chocolate, and I start writing.

"Okay, I'm done." I say a few minutes later. The document is pretty simple, without loophole too. The content is plain, summarizing the intent and the rules. This is how it goes:

_In the accordance of _**Cinna Marvel Mellark**_ and _**Primrose Rue Mellark**_, we draft this Peace Treaty. Until the eighteen-year-old known as Cato has left the Mellark household, all Pranks are on hold. This call for a cease-fire applies to all parties, and members of parties. Failure to comply to these rules will result in an end to the temporary truce and appropriate action from the other party._

We sign our names at the bottom, my loopy cursive and Cinna's messy scrawl. This is filed away with the dozens of other Peace Treaties. We actually need to make these about once a week. If we have a test, project, lots of homework or anything else that we need to focus on, we make a Treaty. Most people would find this weird, but it's how we work.

My thoughts are interrupted when Cato walks in. he looks at the two of us, then grabs a mug of hot chocolate. I raise an eyebrow, am I the only normal one here? Cato returns my stare. God, I hate him.

"Like what you see Mellark?" He teases. I glare, stupid Careers.

"Well if 'like' means 'hate with more force than a class 5 hurricane' then, yes I do like what I see." I retort, flipping a stray piece of hair away from my face.

"That's not really my definition. On the other hand, you're my guide so I shouldn't get you mad. But that's not fun." He grins wickedly and I have a strong urge to slap him.

"Whatevs, you're not worth my time. Hurry up, I want to get this tour over with." I grab a scone off the table and pop it into my mouth. Yum, lemon poppyseed.

Cato finishes eating, and we head out. District 12 is a fairly small District, even with the new additions. It only takes a couple hours to show Cato around, pointing out small details. I show him Mom's old house, falling apart from the weather. He seems surprised the infamous Girl On Fire lived in such a small house.

I delay going to the bakery, because I know my parents will be there. I'm not stupid, I know there's going to be trouble. Unfortunately, I can't avoid it. So about two hours later, I fnd myself opening the door to Mellark's Bakery.

The bell rings as we enter, and I smell the familiar smell of baking bread. Dad comes out and looks at me. "Rose sweetie, why are you here?" _With Cato_ is the understood prepositional phrase.

"Just giving the tour Dad. It's our last stop. Do you have any food, I'm starving!" I reply with a smile. He grins back, and tosses me a loaf of bread.

"Here you go, it's your favorite." I smile and break it in half, tossing one of the pieces to a startled Cato.

"What type of bead is this?" He asks, looking at the bread.

"It's a sourdough, my tried-and-true recipe. I always make it for parties and stuff. I made the dough yesterday." I explain. Cato takes a bite and swallows.

"This is really good!" He exclaims and I huff.

"What did you expect? I made it!" I say with an edge to my voice.

"I can't cook, so I'm easily impressed. Actually, no one in my family could cook." He explains using his hands for emphasis.

"You poor, starving career! How did you survive on expensive, restaurant food? Everyone else had to suffer through with week-old bread and rats!" I mock.

"With great difficulty." He responds, voice calm.

I huff, and walk away. Stupid Careers, stupid boys, stupid, stupid, stupid. My feet lead me to Haymitch's house. I knock once, then push the door open.

"Wanna help me kill someone and hide the body?" I ask, and get a laugh in return.

"Careers irritating you, Princess?" I roll my eyes at the nickname. Good old Haymitch.

"Irritating is an understatement. He's driving me crazy!" I complain. Haymitch doesn't reply.

"I think you guys have more in common than you'd think." He replies after a minute. Fan-freaking-tastic.

"Whatever. I got to go." I leave before he can respond.

Today has been...interesting to say the least.

**i swear this was 998 words! almost 1000! ah well, i won't be able to write for a couple days, i have a huge project due wendsday, and a different project due on the 18th. **

next chapter: Rose and Finn go to the training center. disaster strikes.


	6. Chapter 6

**wow, you guys rock! someone asked if Rose and Cato would get together, and the answer is YES! Clove's last name is Frank because Clovis was King of the Franks...see what i did there!anyways, this is short. sorry!**

_A domesticated girl that's all you ask of me_  
><em>Darling it is no joke, this is lycanthropy<em>  
><em>The moon's awake now with eyes wide open<em>  
><em>My body's craving, so feed the hungry<em>

_I've been devoting myself to you Monday to Monday and Friday to Friday_  
><em>Not getting enough retribution or decent incentives to keep me at it<em>  
><em>I'm starting to feel just a little abused like a coffee machine in an office<em>  
><em>So I'm gonna go somewhere cozy to get me a lover<em>  
><em>And tell you all about it<em>

I wake up the next morning, it's six. That's good, nobody will stop me from leaving now. I shower, pull my hair back into a high ponytail, and get dressed in black yoga pants and a blue cotton tee. Then I rush out the door, pausing to grab a scone. Ten minutes later, I'm on a train to District Two.

I arrive at about seven. I rush down the street, repeating the address Callie gave me in my head. Approximately ten minutes later, I'm there. I knock on the door and a young-ish girl answers. Her hair is pulled up like mine, and her eyes look at me carefully. She pulls a curved knife out of her pocket, and twirls it.

"Who the hell are you, and why shouldn't I kill you right now?" She asks, and I grin.

"Are you Clove Frank? My name's Rose and I really want to kill someone." I state confidently.

"Yeah I'm Clove, what's it to you? And who do you want to kill?" She stares at me harshly, but there's less malice in her eyes.

"I want to kill Cato, and Callie said I might want to talk to you." I reply with an easy smile.

"You know my honorary little sis? Who the hell are you?" She sounds slightly amazed, and less hostile.

"Yeah, I know Callie. Anyways, my parents were the 'Star Crossed Lovers' and, for the record, you kick ass." There's shock on Clove's face.

"You're related to Fire girl and Lover Boy? And thanks." Clove replies.

"You're welcome. I'm sorry to say I am related to 'Fire Girl and Lover Boy'. Actually, can you teach me to throw knives like that?" I ask.

"Sure, but I can't kill Cato. Emotional baggage and all that." There's a wicked gleam in Clove's eyes, and it scares me.

"No probs. Wanna go train now? I'm decent with a sword, and terrible at archery. The irony is unbelievable." I smirk.

"Nice, I'd love to see Fire Girl's face if you threw a knife at her." Clove laughs and I wonder if she's completely stable.

"God, wouldn't that be funny. Maybe I could quote you. Actually, I could just memorize your little speech. Best prank ever." I grin.

"Yeah, like, 'where's Lover Boy?' but just say it normally. I would pay you to do that. Anyways, let's go train." Clove leads me out the door.

I follow her out, and down the street. The training room is just around the corner, and deserted. We start out with basic stuff, weights and jump rope. We aren't the strongest girls, but we can lift twenty pounds easily. Then we do hurdles, an athletic latter thing, and steps. We finish our warmup with a couple laps.

After we're warmed up, we start practicing. I pick up a sword and behead a few dummies. The blade makes a satisfying _thwack_ when it hits the dummies. Clove throws a few knives, hitting the bull's eye every time. She grins at me as we train, and I smile back.

After about an hour of basic stuff, Clove starts my lesson. She shows me how to hold the blade and how to treat it like a natural appendage. Within an hour, I'm hitting my target every time. By noon, I'm a pro.

"Hey wanna do an ending run and get some pizza" Clove asks after a while.

"Yeah, sounds great. I'll race you!" We start to sprint, and I take the lead. We race around the track for a eternity. There's pain in my side, blood roaring in my ears. I can't hear anything, and I'm barely aware of my surroundings. I vaguely hear someone yelling my name, but I ignore it was the run takes over. Then I feel more pain, stabbing me in the ribs.

I'm one fire, my world going up in flames. My feet stumble, and I hit the hard ground. I feel warm, sticky blood run down my face, coating my body. There's some screams that I think come from me. I hear more footsteps, and a frantic voice calling my name.

Then everything goes dark.

**HaHa i'm mean! you guys are so awesome, though so i'll give you a present. you guys can have a one-shot about: Rose visiting cato's grave for the first time, Katniss telling Rose about the games(in Katniss POV), Cato dying, and then having snatches of his life after death (ending with waking up the first time after being brought back), or Cinna's POV about Rose**. **vote in a review and enjoy the story.**


	7. Chapter 7

**I am so, so, so sorry for not updating. i was banned from my computer :(. anyways, this is in Cato POV, cuz I'm mean. A huge thanks to the people who put this on their alerts\favorites. also, if my amazing Grandmother is reading this, HI! without further ado... chapter 6!**

_****Maybe I don't say all the right things_  
><em>Maybe I stumble on my words<em>  
><em>Maybe I laugh at all the wrong times<em>  
><em>Maybe I mumble and I curse<em>  
><em>The last thing I want is to let you down<em>  
><em>Cuz all that I want is to make you proud<em>

_- Lights, Perfect_

* * *

><p>Cato POV:<p>

When I wake up, the house is deserted. I wander downstairs, looking for signs of life. There's a note on the counter that explains where everyone is. Cinna is out hunting, the older Mellarks are down at the bakery, and Rose is "Out".

I toast a slice of bread and smear some jam on it. I feel kinda weird, sitting here and eating their food. After a bit, I decide to explore. If I'm going to live here, I might as well figure out where stuff is. I do feel bad about snooping.

The first room I look at is Rose's. Her bed is a crumpled mess, and half her closet is on the floor. It's strange, how a room can tell you so much about a person. I find a room with a bunch of paintings. I assume they're Peeta's, most of them are family portraits and detailed paintings of the games.

The last room is almost empty. A desk and chair are placed by the window, a hunting jacket tossed over the chair's back. A bow is on the desk, a quiver of arrows next to it. There's also a book, laying open on the desk. Curiosity makes me look at it. There's my name at the top, written in purple pen. There's a spot for a picture, but its empty. There's also writing.

_Cato was a tribute in the 74__th__ Hunger Games. He tried to kill my parents, like, a lot. His weapon was a sword, but he was good with a spear. He was from district two, and a Career. He died getting torn apart by Mutts. Actually, he was clawed in the face, shot in the hand, torn apart by mutts, then shot in the face. I wonder if Careers actually didn't get dessert..._

The writing stops there, and I'm confused. Rose must have written this, but why? To say I'm confused would be an understatement. I knew Rose was independent, brave, and sightly insane, but this is strange. I flip back a couple pages, and stare at the picture.

It's a little blonde girl with wide blue eyes. The top of the page tells me her name is Prim. I read about five sentences before I realize who it is. Primrose Everdeen, the little twelve-year-old. She was who Katniss had volunteered for. Suddenly, it feels wrong to snoop and I leave the room.

The phone rings, and I answer it. "Mellark household, Cato speaking." I say, using the generic way of answering the phone.

"Cato? My name is Prim, and I'm Katniss's sister. Rose was in District Two, training, and she got hurt. Clove is kinda hysterical, if you could come down it would be great." She explains.

"I can come now. Will she be okay?" I hope Rose didn't manage to kill herself.

"Probably, she did lose a lot of blood. Head wounds bleed a lot, though." Prim seems slightly afraid, and I realize this is her niece. "Clove can pick you up." I'm already out the door.

A twenty minute train ride later, I'm in my home district. Clove is, in fact, waiting for me. There's tears staining her face, and she looks hysterical. When she sees me, she breaks down.

"Cato, all my fault...blood, rock, knives...Rose, where's lover boy? Blood, everywhere, rule change...gravestones, so much blood." She's sobbing, completely hysterical. I slap her across her cheek, just hard enough to get her to shut up.

"Clove, District Pride." I shout, and she stops sobbing. The trigger phrase kept us from going totally insane, from losing ourselves. Apparently, it also makes hysterical zombie-girls from freaking out.

"Sorry, it's just... I don't want the chick to die. I mean, she's older than I am and I want to keep her safe. I'm such an idiot." Clove is grinning, and I'm reminded of the sadistic girl who was killed by a rock.

"I know, Rose has that effect on people. Let's go see if she's okay." I wrap an arm around my honorary sister's waist. Together we walk to the hospital where our enemy's daughter might be dying.

The hospital is a clean place, everything is steel or white. The woman I assume is Prim shows us to Rose's room. The girl is spread out across the bed, hair covering her face. She must have noticed us, because she looks up.

"Cato, Clove...so pretty, I like pretty things..." She's loopy on whatever pain medication they gave her. Clove and the woman leave, and I sit down next to Rose.

"Hey, you freaked us out pretty badly." I say softly, pushing the hair out of her face. Somehow, it seems wrong to be mean to her right now.

"Your eyes are blue and my eyes are blue and yours are so pretty and I like pretty things. Mommy likes pretty things too, but not like I do. Mommy is scared of love, and I am too, and daddy says I shouldn't be afraid of love. They were faking, and my mommy lied, and daddy said she was pregnant and mommy didn't want kids, but she had me... I wonder if I was an accident. She never said if she wanted me and Cinna. Do you like singing, I like singing and Finn does too. Finn taught me to swim and I love swimming." Rose rambles on, and I listen quietly. "But you're pretty, and I like you do you like me? I hope you do 'cause if you don't this will be weird." She finished, and looks at me, adoration in her eyes.

Rose sits up and kisses me. I'm so surprised, I don't push her away. I kiss her back on instinct. I try to forget this is Rose Mellark, and pretend it's someone else. The door creaks open, and I hear a voice.

"I saw nothing," Clove grins, "Now excuse me as I gouge my eyes out with a spoon." Well, I'm really screwed this time.

**And that is the end of this chapter! Review, and loo for:**

**the effects of Rose being loopy on pain meds  
><strong>

**Callie winning another bet  
><strong>

**Cato dealing with a very confused Rose(MOstly why Clove keeps laughing at them)  
><strong>

**next time, on The Career's Rose!  
><strong>


	8. Chapter 8

**Wow, sorry for the late update! personal life, and homework met up with writers block and held this chapter hostage. the Rose and cato part of my brain kept yelling at me...**

_****Maybe I don't say all the right things_

_ Maybe I stumble on my words _

_Maybe I laugh at all the wrong times _

_Maybe I mumble and I curse _

_The last thing I want is to let you down _

_Cause all that I want is to make you proud _  
><em>I can't explain why I'm acting this way I can't control it, so I go with it<em>

_ I'm just a girl, I won't be changing the world _

_And boy you know that, I'm not perfect _

_But I'm perfect, for you _

Rose POV:

Once, when I was seven, Dad had a relapse of the Hijacking and tried to strangle me. When he realized what was going on, he let go of my neck. This caused me to fall back, stab myself with the knife I was cutting bread with, and start bleeding like crazy.

I was admitted to the hospital, and they gave me pain medication. We figured out this was a bad idea pretty fast, because I went all loopy. Apparently, whoever was treating me didn't know this. When I come to, a blonde woman is writing something on a clipboard, Clove is laughing, and Cato looks seriously freaked out. I squint, wondering what I did this time. "Rose, you're awake?" The blonde woman says, surprised. "I'm your Aunt Prim, recently zombie-afied." She smiles a little at the end.

"I feel fine, but can someone tell me what happened. I feel all headach-y, and Cato looks like he found out he was actually a girl. I'm betting you gave me pain meds." I reply. Clove snorts when I diss Cato.

"Hey! It's not my fault you went all loopy on me." Cato defends himself.

"yes, I gave you some medicine, you hit your head pretty hard. Why?" Prim sounds confused, so I explain about the Hijacking thing. By the end, she looks really sorry. "Oh, Rose, I didn't know."

"It's okay, but can someone tell me how loopy I was. I mean, generally it's just random babbling, but I still want to know." I look at Clove when I say this.

"Don't look at me. You started talking about how you liked pretty things. Basically, you had a Glimmer Moment." Clove smirks, showing slightly pointed teeth.

"Yeah, you were rambling about your parents, and how you liked pretty stuff." there's something in Cato's voice that makes me doubt this is the whole truth.

"Stop messing with me, and tell me what happened before I murder you with a rusty spoon and feed you to my shark pond." I threaten, before realizing that's impossible.

"Rusty spoon?" Prim giggles. I huff, everyone's so judgmental these days!

"Yes, a rusty spoon. I don't care if it's possible, I will find a way to do it and you will regret this." I'm almost joking now.

"You-might-have-maybe-kinda-sorta-kissed-me-and-said-I-was-cute." Cato blurts out, and I blink.

"Did you just say I kissed you and called you pretty?" Their silence is my answer, "Come on! I have the worst luck possible, like, ever." I'm whining now, but whatever. I kissed Cato!

"No, the worst luck possible would be having to go into the Hunger Games against me, Cato, Marvel, Katniss, Finnick Odair, Enorbiana, Brutus, Lyme, Cashmere and Gloss." Clove counters.

"Glimmer doesn't make the cut?" I'm still mad, but the angers dissolving now.

"There is a reason we call your screw ups Glimmer Moments." Clove offers as an explanation.

I swing my legs off of the bed and walk out of the room. I get about halfway down the hall when Cato decides to come after me. I ignore the Career, walking away like I have no cares in the world. Not like I'm faking or anything.

"Rose, listen up. I'm going to say this once, and deny I ever said it. You are one of the most amazing girls I've ever met, and honestly you're a good kisser. I know you have issues, hell I'm a crazy killer who was brought back to life by insane Capitol doctors. You are seriously the only girl I don't want to either: kill, ignore, feel bad for, or save the life of. You deserve way better than any guy I know, way better than me. Don't ever think you're not good or anything."

"Oh, so you think I'm so great. Why can't you just leave me alone? I HATE BEING PITIED AND THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE DOING RIGHT NOW!" I scream, tears streaming down my face. How dare he worm into my heart, make me trust him, love him, and throw caution to the wind. I hate him, I hate him, I hate him!

I start to run away, but Cato's arms grab me and eliminate any chance of escape. I feel like the boy from District Three, before he got his neck snapped. I'm vulnerable here, and Cato knows it.

"I don't pity you. In fact, I think the farthest thing from it. You're much, much, stronger than I was at your age. If anything, I admire you." Cato says quietly.

I stare at the blonde boy. His icy blue eyes meet my sapphire ones. In that moment, I realize he's telling the truth. The idea seems so out of place, I almost laugh. Instead, I stare at Cato. Softly, so softly I can barely hear my voice, I say "I think you're kidding. I'm just...me. I'm not anything special."

"You're pretty special to me." Cato laughs. Then he does the last thing I expected.

He kisses me. Must be some record, two within an hour.

Somehow, this doesn't make me feel special.

**If Cato seems OOc, its supposed to be that way. There's some plot twists before the end! just out of curiosity, would you guys want a sequel? i have an idea, but would you want one?**

**next chappie:  
><strong>

**Katniss finds out about cato and Rose  
><strong>

**Finn breaks a lamp  
><strong>

**and Cinna decides his family has problems.  
><strong>


	9. Chapter 9

**Oh my god! its been like a month! my birthday was a couple weeks ago, i had finals and i was on computer ban because my room was a mess. it looked like a tornado, a hurricane, a tsunami, an earthquake, and a nuclear bomb combined and attacked it. its clean now, but whatever. i'm on summer vacation now, so i have more time to write. once again, a hello to my amazingful Grandmother if she's reading this.**

**on another note, this is almost over. i will do a sequel though... onto the story!  
><strong>

****_Hey, I just met you,_  
><em> And this is crazy,<em>  
><em> But here's my number,<em>  
><em> So call me, maybe?<em>

_ It's hard to look right,_  
><em> At you baby,<em>  
><em> But here's my number,<em>  
><em> So call me, maybe?<em>  
><span>-Call me. Maybe<span>

"You did WHAT?" Mom shrieks, glaring at Cato like he's responsible for my insanity. Well, his is, but whatever.

"I am dating Cato because I mildly like him, not to mess with you. If you decide to try and control me, I will hire an assassin-probably Kiren- to kill you in your sleep and hide the body. I won't regret it very much either." At the time it seemed like a good threat.

"Rose, is it normal for you to threaten people with their lives?" Cato wraps an arm around my waist and Mom glares.

"Rose, we trust you to do what's right for you, but are you sure Cato is right for you?" Dad is a little hesitant, for a good reason.

"Look, I think I know what's best for me. You did the incredibly stupid thing and tried to kill yourself for love. I'm doing the less stupid thing and dating a zombie. And I just realized how strange that sounded..." I trail off, and turn to face Cato. "We are going to go to my room, and you are spending the night. Nobody is going to tell me who I can and can't put up with."

"you know, that could be taken the wrong way." Cato says with a grin.

"That was kinda the point." I smile back.

We walk up the stairs to my room. It's nice, everything is white and fluffy. Cato sits down on my bed while I grab a few sleeping bags. I lay them out, covering every inch of the floor. I shift them enough to make a path to my CD player.

I grab my laptop and draft an email to Kiren, Lucy, Finn, and Cinna. As an afterthought, I add Clove and start typing.

** Peoples,**

**So, Rose here. Got a zombie boyfriend, pissed off my parents, and barricaded myself in my room. So, sleepover time! I have bags, but you guys are bringing snacks. Use the window, I'll put the rope out. Oh, Finn show Clove how to get in. she knows where I live already.**

** -Rose-the-creep**

Looking up, I notice Cato is staring at me. "What 'choo looking at, Zombie?" I smirk at the blonde Career.

"A completely insane girl with some serious family issues. Who were you emailing anyway?" Cato asks curiously.

"My brother, Cinna, Finn, Lucy, Clove, and Kiren. Finn is Annie's son, Lucy and Kiren are Enorbiana's friend's kids. I met them at one of those stupid Rebellion parties. And Clove was a Tribute in your games. She was kinda your ally."

"Really? That's amazing! Anyways, what do you mean by window and rope and Clove knows where you live?"

"Oh, every time I get in an argument with the 'rents I have a sleepover with my Besties. They come in through the window, but since I'm on the second floor they climb a tree and get in that way. We need the rope so they don't fall and kill themselves."

there's an awkward silence, broken by the sound of a rock hitting the window and breaking the glass. I look outside and see everyone is waiting for me to throw the rope out the window. Oops...

I open the window and throw the rope at Cinna's face. It hits him with a dull thud. The group climbs into my room one by one, and I grin. There's nothing like having your friends break into your house to cheer you up.

"Hey, Freak! Nice to see you! I haven't broken a window trying to break into you house since that truth or dare game.." Lucy gives me a hug, squeezing my stomach with her twig-like arms. With purple and sea-foam hair, she sticks out in a crowd.

"So, who did you threaten this time?" Kiren asks, grinning slightly. His sandy hair is cut short, and his green eyes sparkle. Once I had a crush on Kiren, but now we're just friends.

"Sooooo, you know a bunch of hot guys and don't tell me? I thought you loved me!" Clove says dramatically, pretending to clutch her heart.

"And you make _me_ put up with _her_." Finn adds, putting a hand over his heart and fluttering his eyelashes.

"Everybody shut up before I set my zombie on you." I yell, standing on my bed. "We are here because my parents have problems with me dating an insane killer who was going to torture them in the games. This is just another reason I'm so weird. I blame it all on my upbringing. Anyways, we are going to have an amazingful dance party, play a stupid game like truth or dare and I'll get drunk on Apple Cider again. If any of you remembered to bring food, we'll eat that too. And them my parents will see you guys on the floor and think 'where did we go wrong?' the answer is 'when you decided it was a good idea to have kids.'"

there's a silence when everyone tries to understand what I said. Instead of sitting around, I turn on the radio and start to sing. It's the good, pre-Panem music I love and I plan on making everyone love it too. Cinna clutches his ears and writhes on the floor screaming about the horror of my voices.

Lucy grabs a stick of lipgloss and starts to sing with me.

_Hey, I just met you,  
>And this is crazy,<br>But here's my number,  
>So call me, maybe?<em>

It's hard to look right,  
>At you baby,<br>But here's my number,  
>So call me, maybe?<p>

Hey, I just met you,  
>And this is crazy,<br>But here's my number,  
>So call me, maybe?<p>

And all the other boys,  
>Try to chase me,<br>But here's my number,  
>So call me, maybe?<p>

We start laughing, Lucy can't sing at all. Everyone else joins in and we end up on the floor, making a mess of the blankets. In that crazy, irreplaceable, perfect moment, I feel truly happy.

**Next chapter:**

**A game of T or D  
><strong>

**Rose on a sugar high  
><strong>

**Clove and Finn...  
><strong>

**And a very confused Cato!  
><strong>


	10. Chapter 10

**I went camping this weekend, and we had a Hunger Games, it ended in a draw between me, my friend Kat, and her friend Natalie because it was getting dark. Technically, i won because i killed my little bro and they didn't kill anyone...anyways enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Thirty minutes, two rounds of karaoke and a lot of sugar later, everyone( except Cato and Clove but they don't count) is on a massive sugar rush. We're giggling like Preteen girls around older guys, and talking about fashion like it's the most important thing in the history of Ever. Finn and Kiren are comparing hair\eye color combinations in girls, and Cinna is trying to make a bomb out of my hair products.<p>

Clove and Cato share a glance and simultaneously grab all the sugar and soda. They proceed to dump water on us, and smack me in the face, effectively knocking us out of our sugar rush. I take one look around the trashed room and decide it was probably a good idea, considering we already broke one window.

"Do you usually ruin your house at these things?" Clove asks cynically.

"Are you always such a buzz kill? I'm a happy, cheerful person and you dump water on me and hit me like a...I have no good analogy." my voice drifts off, and everyone is silent.

"Person in the Hunger games?" Lucy suggests, and I shake my head.

"You don't dump water on someone and slap them in the Games. You just kill them." everyone laughs as I saw this, and I find myself in the awkward position of saying something seriously and having it be taken as a joke.

"We are playing Truth or Dare. I don't care about what happened last time, the zombies need an initiation." Cinna announces, and murmurs of agreement echo in the room.

"I'll grab a bottle, and Rose can start. It's her zombies we have to pretend to like, after all." Finn grins, showing me that he's just kidding.

Five minutes later, we're in a ragged circle, bottle in the center. I spin it gently, and it twirls around for a moment. Then it lands on Cato.

"Truth or dare, Cato?" I ask sweetly. He's nervous, which is understandable considering I'm pretty evil when I want to be.

"Dare, I guess." He replies and I smirk. This is going to be fun.

"I dare you to go down stairs and claim that you're madly in love with my mom, beg her to marry you. Then, when she rejects you, do the same thing to my dad. And you can't say it's a dare." Cato looks terrified, but nods. He can't back down now, not with everyone watching.

We all follow at a safe distance, making sure the floor doesn't creak underfoot. Down the thankfully carpeted stairs, and into the Living Room where Mom and Dad sit, talking quietly. There's a nervous aura around us, and I almost want to laugh. Then, Cato steps into the room.

"Katniss Everdeen, I love you with all my heart. Ever since I saw you at the Opening Ceremonies, I knew you were perfect for me. Will you marry me?" I let a soft giggle out, this is priceless!

"Cato, you're dating my daughter. I'm married, and you're, like, eighteen. Are you drunk?" Mom replies, studying my boyfriend carefully.

"Peeta Mellark," Cato says, turning to my father, "I love you with my entire being. You are the thing that keeps me hopeful in the depths of despair, will you marry me?" I almost burst out laughing at that.

"Oh, god, they're playing truth or dare again." Dad sighs, shaking his head sadly.

Silently, we go back to my room. Once we're safely in the door, we start cracking up. Even Clove joins the fun, giggling and chatting with Finn. After a moment, I yell at them to shut up, and we go back to the floor.

Cato spins the bottle, smiling when it lands on Clove. "Truth or Dare little sis?" He asks, grinning in a slightly insane way.

"I'm going with Truth because your grin is creeping me out." Clove replies, shuddering under Cato's icy eyes.

"Okay, who in this room would you go lesbo for?" Cato smiles triumphantly at the shocked look on Clove's face.

"If I say Rose, you'll kill me. If I saw Lucy, she would look at me strangely. So, I'm going with Finn. Considering who his father is I wouldn't we surprised if he was secretly a girl." an awkward silence fills the room as we attempt to figure out what the hell just happened.

Clove spins the bottle, staring us down as it rotations. It lands on Kiren, causing an evil grin to stretch across her face. "Truth or Dare, Kiren?" she inquires, twirling a bit of hair around er finger.

"Dare." Kiren replies confidently. The grin widens.

"Hit on every girl you know for the next week, and make poorly disguised sexual suggestions." Clove commands, and everyone laughs.

"Okay beautiful, my place or yours?" Kiren replies in his "sexy voice", causing Clove to blush and Lucy to laugh.

Kiren spins the bottle and it lands on Finn. "Truth or Dare, pretty boy?" Kiren asks, still using the "Sexy Voice".

"Dare, ugly boy." Finn retorts. Everyone laughs, only Kiren would do something like that.

"Kiss Clove for at least thirty seconds." A look of shock passes over Finn's face, before determination replaces it.

Finn walks over to Clove, pulls her up, and kisses her. Cinna wolf whistles, and Lucy and Kiren cat call. After about a minute, Clove pulls away.

"Not bad, Pretty Boy." she states, smiling at my friend. Then, because it's Clove, she adds, "I've had better."

a strange smile on his face, Finn spins the bottle, which lands on me. "Truth or Dare, Rose-flower?" Cato growls at the nickname.

"Dare, I'm not a wimp." I reply confidently. An evil smirk crosses Finn's face as he leans down.

"This is what you do..."

Cato POV:

Whatever dare Rose got, it's bad. She smiles tightly, waving away Clove's questions. "WE have to got to the store, it's an easy dare."

Everyone files out the door, and down the stairs. Peeta and Katniss aren't around, and I'm grateful.

We walk to the small market, and Rose pulls a ski mask over her face. I'm confused, but Rose seems to know what she's doing. She walks into the store casually, and we follow. She wanders around the aisles, looking at tissues, soap, and nail polish.

Apparently it's illegal to wear a ski mask in public, because ten minutes later the Peace Keepers show up. They escort Rose out the door, and back to her house. Only Rose could actually get in trouble for wandering in a store wearing a ski mask. Of course, only Finn could come up with that dare.

We all curl up in our sleeping bags, and I decide Rose's friends are okay.

**Review!**

**xt chapter:  
><strong>

**Callie, Cato, and Rose  
><strong>


	11. Chapter 11

**So sorry for the delay. Personal stuff and Writer's Block ganged up on me to make me not write this. Many thanks to Indigo Nights, who helped with this chapter. Callie wasn't cooperating, and i'm not totally happy with how this turned out.**

**No song this time, but a quote  
><strong>

****_"I Am prepared to die, but there is no cause for which I am prepared to kill."_

_-Gandhi  
><em>

I wake up before everyone else the next morning. Rose is sleeping curled in a ball, arm across Lucy's face. Lucy somehow turned sideways in the night, and her feet are over Finn. Finn had rolled off his pillow, and onto Clove's. Clove had kicked me in the night, and punched me once too. And I ended up halfway under Rose's bed. Kiren and Cinna were smart and dragged their bags away from the dog pile that was the rest of us.

I look at the clock and discover it's six. Carefully, I creep downstairs. I grab the carton of eggs out of the fridge, and something that looks like bacon. After looking around for a few minutes, I find a bowl and a pan and start making scrambled eggs.

In the next half-hour, ore and more people drift downstairs. First is Rose, at six fifteen, then Clove, Finn, Cinna, Lucy and Kiren. They all help with food, making waffles, toast, and fruit salad. At seven, the food is ready. We grab plates and scoop our food up, before sitting down to eat in the front room Katniss and Peeta were in last night.

Soon after that, the elder Mellarks come down too. Katniss takes one look at all the food and say, "I'm going hunting. I wouldn't put it past these guys to poison us. Call me if you die." I almost laugh before I realize she actually thinks we would do that.

"Katniss, they wouldn't try to kill you. They're good kids. Can I trust you guys to not blow up the house, I have to go to the Bakery." Peeta directs the last bit at Rose.

"Yeah, we won't break anything important. Probably." Rose smiles like an angel. With a sigh, her parents leave, muttering about insane children.

Within ten minutes we're done with the food. Everyone files into the kitchen to dump their plates in the sink and wrap up the extra. Then, we go and sit on the couch. In the next few minutes, we chat about random stuff. But the quiet conversation doesn't last long. By ten, everyone has drifted out and Rose, Cinna, and I are the only people left.

Cinna leaves to hang out with some friends, and Rose turns to face me.

"We should go tell Callie." She says quietly, staring at me with sky-blue eyes.

"Yeah, I guess we should. You tell her, okay." I grin, and she punches me on the arm. Hard. For a moment I feel bad about what I'm doing to her, but I push the thought away.

"In your dreams, Zombie Face." Rose retorts, a playful smirk on her face. Its surprising, how unlike her parents she is.

"Well, are we just going to sit here, or are we going to go tell my sister that we're dating. Cause if you don't want to tell, that's fine. I mean, I'm breaking about three of the "older brother rules". You're my little\older sister's friend, you're younger than me- by like, twenty-two years- and well, I can't think of a third one." I say, and Rose's face looks depressed.

"If you don't want to go out with me, its fine. I don't want your pity, I get enough already. I can go ask Paylor to get you another place to stay and we can pretend this never happened." Rose laughs bitterly, and I'm confused. I like Rose, I really do. But what do you say when your sorta-girlfriend admits she doesn't care if you break up with her.

"Rose, do you know how freaked out I am? Your parents were pissed when you told them, and Callie is my only family. Is she gets mad at me, well I won't have any of my family left." I say, and Rose nods, head down.

"Ha! Paylor owes me ten bucks!" Callie grins when I tell her about our relationship. Rose starts laughing, and Callie smiles wider.

"You mean again?" Rose raises an eyebrow, and I get more confuted. If that's even possible.

"Me ish confuzzled." I state, before I realize I sound like Rose. Its creepy, how living with someone for a week can make you act like them.

"Its an inside joke." Callie explains, before turning to Rose. "Did I ever tell you what happened after he died?"

"No, will you tell me?" Rose asks, and I nod. Its weird, thinking about the fact that I was legally dead for twenty years.

"So, it was the last day of the Games. We all wanted Cato to come home, and when he got Peeta in a headlock, well we thought it was all over. Then Katniss shot him in the hand, and we knew it was over. The next few ours we watched as he tried to fight his way back around, and for a bit it seemed like he was succeeding.

"Then the Clove mutt came. We saw Cato flinch, he didn't want to kill it, even though it wasn't really her. He got jumped on from behind, the mutt version of the district three girl, his first kill. He lost his sword, and the mutts were free to attack.

"After hours of listening to him scream in pain, the mutts left. I was so freaked out, I was five and I had just seen my brother torn to a bloody pulp by a group of mutts. Cato begged Katniss to shoot him, and she did. I was so thankful, but my other brother Marcus wasn't.

"Marcus was sixteen, and he worshiped Cato. He was so angry at Katniss, and he let that anger rule him. He worked in the stone mines, and later became a soldier for the Capitol. Then, he had the chance to kill Katniss. But he didn't, he realized that Cato died because of the Capitol and he let Katniss go. She still got shot, and Marcus was killed.

"It wasn't a good time, and I don't remember it very well, but I do remember what Marcus told me before he died. He told me ' no matter who dies, no matter who lives, always remember that the only true enemy is the one that challenges your family. No matter what side of a war you end up fighting for, remember that even those with the best intentions can do horrible things for their side'. And I agree. Alma Coin started out with good intentions, but became a horrible, bitter person because that was what it took to win the war."

We all fall silent as Callie finishes. I knew Marcus had looked up to me, but his death was shocking. I thought he had just left Two and went to another District after the war. Rose looks troubled too, probably at the mention of her parents.

Callie looks at us both, deciding. Then she grabs our arms and pulls us into a hug. For the first time in several years, I feel regret.


	12. Chapter 12

**The Games mentioned in this chapter, The District Games are based on something me and my friends did once. and I actually killed my brother. it was epic. Please don't hate me, but this is the last chapter. hopefully the epilogue will be up tonight or tomorrow. then i'm taking a break before starting the sequel; The Liar's Princess. on with the story, I have to hide from angry reviewers...**

_She calls him up_

_ She's trippin' on the phone now_

_ He had to get up _

_And he ain't comin' home now _  
><em>He's tryin' to forget her<em>

_ That's how we come with him _

_When he first met her _

_When they first got together_

_-Good Charlotte, I don't wanna be in Love  
><em>

* * *

><p>Rose POV:<p>

On the way back to District Twelve, I ask Cato if he wants to be in the Hunger Games with me. After checking to make sure I'm not completely insane. Then he starts ranting about how insane it is for me to ask that, and of course he doesn't want to be in a death tournament with me.

"Cato, I don't mean the actual Games, in Twelve we play the District Games, which is a not-killing version of the Games." I say, and go on to explain what the District Games are like.

See, a few years ago, Beetee designed these really cool interactive training suits for the Peacekeeper training in District Two. The suits were covered in pressure-sensitive sensors that were located over veins and major organs. Beetee also created weapons that shot out "beams" of...something.

The suits would respond to the beams like you would if you got shot or stabbed, and some places would "kill" you instantly. Other spots would injure you, and you would need to use a medical kit on it or you would die after a set amount of time.

So after creating these suits, Beetee gave a set to us kids to use for a mini-Hunger Games. He created knives and swords that only hurt the suits and created a whole program for us. Basically, we put on the suits, enter the serial number into a projector, input a picture, and them when you got killed the projector would send up your picture and fire off a canon.

You also picked a program that would randomly kill of a tribute, like a mutt would. Last one standing wins.

The District changed every month, and every District except Thirteen and the Capitol held it. Thirteen wasn't used because of the nuclear testing they did and the Capitol didn't have any place big enough to use.

After explaining to Cato, he agreed to play. I was stupidly happy, and Cato could tell. I could see that he was amused but thankfully there was no comment.

o.O.o

"Okay everyone, its time for the seventy-fourth annual District Games. This month it is held in the woods behind District Twelve, where the Victors of the actual Games came from. We also have two real-life Tributes playing, Cato and Clove. Don't worry, they know we don't really kill each other." I shout to the group of kids waiting around me. Its time for our Games and I'm hosting for the first time. Usually older kids get the honor, but considering we're honoring my parents, I got picked.

The Games starts with all of us gearing up and heading into the forest. We set up bright orange tape to mark out our Arena. Then we get dressed in our gear and lay out the Cornucopia. Cato and Clove look out of place, but Finn, Kiren, Lucy, and Cinna are looking after them so I don't go over.

The countdown starts as we stand in a circle. I'm gearing up to run in and grab a pack and a sword, and I notice Cato has his eye on the same blade as me. I shoot him a look, nodding to the sword and he nods his understanding. He will take it and I will grab something else.

The gong rings out and I sprint to grab my pack and some very nice throwing knives. I throw one at Finn and one at Clove. Clove dodges but Finn gets hit in the shoulder. I run into the woods before he can retaliate.

I see Cato a few yards away and hop over to him. "Allies?" I ask, and he nods tensely. Whirling around, I stab him straight in the heart with my knife. He looks shocked for a moment before laughing. His suit blinks out and the canon fires. He hands me his sword and I leave.

The first casualties are higher than usual. Fifteen Tributes dead, and nine left. Out of my friends, Clove, Cinna, and Kiren are the only ones left. I guess I got a better hit on Finn than I thought and Lucy must have ran into someone else.

I continue to play, keeping an eye out for the others. I kill two other kids, a girl and a boy I don't know, before Clove is out. I find Cinna and Kiren, and manage to kill my brother before Kiren gets me. Then there's only four left. I go home, looking for Clove and Cato. Kiren might win, but one of the other girls, Lace, is pretty ruthless, so I see no point in waiting around.

Back at my house, I notice my parents are still missing. The door is unlocked, so Clove and Cato are probably here. I walk inside and follow the sound of voices to Cato's room.

"Cato, don't be an idiot. Rose is pretty epic and she doesn't hate you. She isn't Katniss and she isn't Peeta. Forget the Games, its over. And dating Rose isn't a good revenge, she's her own person." Clove yells, and icy dread fills my heart. Dating me for revenge?

"Clove, you don't get it. I like Rose, I really do, but I can't be with her. Every time I look at he I see Katniss fucking Everdeen. And every time she stares at me and looks concerned I see Peeta fucking Mellark. She's really their kid, and I'm reminded of that every time I go near her. She's nice, but dating her is the only thing that will hurt them. I don't want to hurt her, but if that's what it takes..." Cato says and rage replaces the dread.

I push open the door, letting it hit the wall. "So, dating me for revenge huh? that's mature, real mature. I expect that kind of thing from some of the bastards in my school, but not you. Just because you managed to completely fail at killing two underfed teens doesn't give you the right to mess with my life. So go dig yourself a hole and DIE IN IT! And rot in hell, you bastard." I say, before stalking out of the room. I hear Clove trying to call me back but I'm too mad to listen. I start running as soon as I leave the house.

I should have known better than to trust a Career. They always let you down./P

**Don't kill me!**


	13. Epilogue: Choices

**And so it ends. Its been 119 days, and I'm going to put out a thank-you chapter in a couple days. here's the Epilogue, enjoy  
><strong>

_And if our love was real and true_**  
><strong>

_You'd love me like I loved you  
><em>

_But too late you realized your mistake  
><em>

_And my heart is not yours to take  
><em>

_-Something I wrote  
><em>

* * *

><p>Epilogue: Choices<p>

The girl was crying as she left her home and everything she knew. She wasn't sure where the train was going, but she knew it had to be better than the place she was leaving. If she was being reasonable, she would have know this wasn't such a good idea. But then again, broken hearts are a force to be reckoned with.

When the train stopped, the girl got off without a single look back. She wandered through the unknown streets before dropping to the ground and crying. Rain poured over her, drenching her skin.

Four other children watched the newcomer carefully. One of them was a redhead with amber eyes. The other girl was a pretty blonde, with all her ribs showing. The first of the two boys had dark hair and deep brown eyes, while the other was a lean blonde with golden brown eyes.

The red haired girl walked from her hiding spot carefully, with a grace that would impress even the best dancer. She reached a hand out to the crying girl, who took it gratefully.

The amber-eyed girl lead her companion over to the others. The crying teen stared at them carefully, judging. She opened her mouth to make a comment, but burst out in a fresh wave of tears instead. The bony blonde wrapped a frail arm around her, and the two boys followed suit.

"Its going to be okay, I promise." The blonde whispered as she hugged the crying girl. The sobs continued, but they were less desperate.

"My name is Dom." The dark-skinned boy said, reaching out a hand. The girl shook it, blue eyes shining with unshed tears.

"My name is Cal." The blonde boy said with a grin, "And the ginger is Kardia. We're twins, even though she tries to deny it."

"My name's Atria, and I promise we won't let anything bad happen to you again."

And so, the crying girl started her tale. The others listened as she spoke of the daughter of two Victors, born into a life she despised. She spoke of Tribute Graves and lost days, and of a dead boy's little sister. She told stories of pranks and District Games, and of lost love.

She spoke or the Capitol's new technology, and Kardia winced as she spoke bitterly of the formally dead Tributes. She spoke mockingly of bets between the President and her friend, and of screaming contests in hospital rooms.

She told the story of a training day, and the effects of Pain Meds. She spoke quietly about the strange relationship between her and the dead Tributes reborn. She laughed through her tears when she explained about Truth or Dare, and became quiet as she explained the after effects.

The stories of the Dead Tribute, and of the District Games, were spoken in a soft voice that broke as she said her lover's name. And all was quiet as she spoke of his betrayal.

There was silence as the four watched the newcomer and she stared right back. The silence was broken by the girl with blue eyes, sadness and anger and love burning bright as a fire.

"She was his Rose, pretty but encased in thorns. She was everything he wanted to be, and everything he couldn't be. He shouldn't even have been talking to her, but fate had other plans. He was her Guardian Angel, in a twisted sort of way." There was silence as the girl continued.

"She was the Career's Rose, until she withered up and died. And now she's just a Liar's Princess, despite her efforts to break free."

**End of Part One**


	14. Thank You!

**Wow, just...wow. When I started The Career's Rose I though I might get a hundred views and like 13 reviews. Instead, as of today( July 24****th****, 2012) I have 9,432 views, 60 reviews, 45 favorites, and 54 alerts. That is amazing.**

**So, as a thank you for everyone who helped me out I'm posting this little note. First of all, I want to thank my amazingful Grandma Nancy who is the only family member who has read this, and has been profile-stalking me for about a month. I also want to thank my epicful cousin Trisha who has always inspired me to read and might get an account on here.**

**I would like to thank all my reviewers, you guys made my day. Here's a list of everyone who reviewed up to yesterday:**

**Good grief**

**N**

**YJ and HG rocks**

**HermioneandMarcus**

**Indigo Nights**

**BestBooksInTheWorld17**

**beatrice eaton**

**anon**

**THGames75 **

**PinkPenguin96**

**JennaRae44**

**Raiza**

**JadeWolf2012 **

**Luckycharmsluver **

**Harjot**

**Fishpuppy**

**HG-Peeta-lover**

**Melanie**

**HauntingViolet**

**DJDvampgirlp227 **

**Cranberries101**

**Gold**

**emmettcullenlover7**

**cookiemonster1311 **

**Alice Williams**

**shimmergirl109**

**ItsLittleMartha**

**emilyroorose**

**somethingaboutnothing**

**Mason and Alex **

**Atala Embers**

**brigrove**

**Summers Sky**

**modernday1997**

**Sunni Dayze **

**Nic**

**me**

**Rueruerue**

**Guest**

**N**

**I also want to thank everyone who put Career's Rose on alert or favorite, because you guys all made my day too. Thanks so much!**

**I'm not gonna post a list for those 2, but just remember I love everyone who bothered to click on the link to this.**

**I want to thank my friend Sheyanne, who never read this fic but listened to me ramble about pairings in PE, History, and English. My bro Josh who is insane enough to understand me, and Suzanne Collins for writing the books in the first place.**

**Out of all my reviewers and readers I want to take the time to thank Indigo Nights and Joshhutchersonlover who bugged me, complimented me, and were just epic people. Thank you guys, you helped me remember why I started writing this.**

**Its been one hundred and twenty days since I started writing this and it all started going shopping for food in Hawaii and hearing a song come on the radio. **

**I'm taking a weeklong break from Rose and Cato, but this sunday I should have the prologue and first chapter for Liar's Princess up. **

**I love you all, except for You(just kidding),**

**ShineTheTribute\Shine\Amanda**

**PS this is the longest thing I have ever written. Its almost 15,000 words. My other completed piece of work was 7,000**

****_As the part of Shine's mind that personifies Clove, I would like to say that Cato is an idiot and he will get whats coming to him. I have knives...lots of knives._

_**As the part of Shine's insanity that calls herself Rose, I want to say that Cato and I are going to talk it out at some point in Liar's Princess. Not saying when though.**_

_****_As the part of this crazy chick's brain that has violence problems( She refers to me as her Cato-voice) I want to say I don't regret breaking Rose's heart. Feel free to hunt Shine down and kill her. I'm not real after all.


	15. A Note

So apparently some people on this site feel the need to send rude messages to authors who have been inactive for probably about two years now, informing them about copyright laws.

First of all, this is a fanfiction site. I'm pretty sure every single goddamn story on here violates the copyright laws at least a little. It kinda comes with the territory.

Second of all, I was twelve when I wrote this story. I don't write fanfiction anymore, I write my own stories and post them on other sites. I stopped posting on here after I started feeling more comfortable creating whole worlds. Again, I was twelve when I started writing these stories. I wanted to practice writing, I liked The Hunger Games series and so I decided to write short stories for it. If you honestly feel the urge to send in mocking, patronizing messages in response to a story that was written three years ago, from an author who is no longer active, you should probably reconsider what you're doing with your life. It's honestly kinda pathetic.

Thirdly, even if I was still active why on earth would you feel the need to say some shitty ass comment (pardon my French) that serves no purpose other than to be an asshole about things. Over the past few months, all the reviews I've gotten have just been rude notices about copyright laws and people threatening to report me. If you wanna do that, go right ahead. I don't really care. It is somewhat sad that this site has become so close minded. When I still posted, most people were accepting and offered advice or their services as an editor. I am fully aware my stories kinda really sucked. But no one, until now, ever felt the need to say anything less than positive about them.

If you don't like something, you can always leave the page.

-A


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